The Daily Source of Urban Planning News

The NYT looks at a provision in a state assembly bill to restore transit funding to beleaguered CA transit agencies by allowing voters in regions to approve gas fees. Not only was the provision dropped by the Senate - the governor vetoed the bill.

March 22 - The New York Times - U.S.

A $45 million federal earmark to help fund a maglev train between Los Angeles and Las Vegas is instead going to widening a freeway connection to the airport.

March 22 - Las Vegas Sun

Shanghai is preparing for the 2010 World Expo, but the Chinese investment won't create anything like the urban investment created in Vancouver for the Olympics, says Brendon Crain.

March 22 - Next American City

In a study in Europe using cellphone GPS data, researchers discovered that people rarely leave a six-mile area around where they live. GPS cellphone data is being used for a host of urban planning studies like this.

March 22 - Planning Commissioners Journal

FEATURE

Like the U.S. in the mid-20th Century, much of the growth in Abu Dhabi over the last 35 years has catered primarily to the automobile. But new plans are re-wiring the city to make Abu Dhabi's streets more hospitable to pedestrians.

March 22 - Gary Toth

Pres. Obama has come out in favor of developing more nuclear power plants, and the public is warming up to the idea because of the climate change benefits of switching from coal. Hendrik Hertzberg looks at the politics of atomic power.

March 22 - The New Yorker

A Welsh company is using ground-up plastic remnants to create a building material sturdy enough for housing.

March 21 - Treehugger

A new book argues that yes, the priorities of private property often trump those of democracy, community, free expression and life outside of the marketplace.

March 21 - On The Commons

This article from <em>Architect</em> looks at how GIS is integrating itself into the toolbox of architects.

March 21 - Architect

Activists have turned the site of a former inner-city freeway in San Francisco into a community garden.

March 21 - Good

A recent court ruling preventing a California town from placing a cap on residential development could change the shape of the state, according to the <em>San Francisco Chronicle</em>'s John King.

March 21 - San Francisco Chronicle

Jon Hockenyos makes a radical proposal that cities should establish their own terms for how much local property is worth, free of "market value", in order to unstick frozen property markets.

March 20 - Citiwire.net

In Corpus Christi, Texas, a park development fee on inner city properties has developers crying foul, claiming it discourages development in inner cities where it should be encouraged.

March 20 - Corpus Christi Caller-Times

Bringing economic vitality back to Cleveland requires a broad embrace of policies that encourage entrepreneurship, according to <em>Reason</em>'s Sam Staley.

March 20 - Reason

With small businesses closing shop and empty stores lining its main street, the British borough of North Tyneside is creating fake storefronts to create the appearance of a lively shopping area.

March 20 - BBC

In this podcast, <em>Next American City</em> talks with the Brookings Institution's Bruce Katz about the emerging shape of the new American economy.

March 20 - Next American City

A string of connected parks laced through cities has been a vision of city planners since the days of Olmsted. Ben Welle of the Center for City Park Excellence has some ideas how that that vision can be implemented today.

March 19 - City Parks Blog

In the Bronx, Brooklyn, and even the Upper East Side, rooftop farming is making inroads. The City Greens profiles a handful of these urban pioneers.

March 19 - The City Greens

The streetscape of San Francisco is changing, one tiny piece at a time. Planners are slowly taking over pieces of the streets and turning them into tiny "parklets" for pedestrians.

March 19 - Streetsblog San Francisco

The Quartet on the Middle East (the United Nations, the US, the EU and Russia) have issued a statement denouncing the Israeli settlement plan, but Palestinian groups are disappointed that it contains no enforcement provisions.

March 19 - Al Jazeera English